The objective of all putting aids is to help the golfer develop and retain a superior putting stroke. Essentially, a superior putting stroke is one in which the putter blade follows the initial portion of the intended path to the cup. For short and medium putts, this is accomplished by stroking the putter straight back and straight through the initial portion of the intended path, while keeping the face of the putter blade perpendicular to the stroke path. For longer putts, a more pronounced backstroke and throughstroke is required whereby the putter blade is carried slightly inside the line of the stroke path at the extremes of the stroke. For all putts, however, the vertical distance between the ground and the bottom of the putter blade varies from essentially zero, at impact, to a few inches at the extremes of the stroke. This is known as keeping the putter blade low.
Previously developed putting aids have been designed to help the golfer develop a "straight back and straight through" putting stroke. Golfers have practiced by placing a pair of two-by-four boards parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance sufficient to accommodate a putter blade. The golfer would then practice putting while attempting not to contact the boards. It will, however, be readily appreciated that the use of two-by-fours on the golf course has several drawbacks. For example, the two-by-fours were inconvenient and cumbersome to carry around. It was also difficult to assure that the boards were parallel. Moreover, for longer putts, it was necessary to reposition the boards to provide a larger distance therebetween to allow the putter blade to be brought slightly inside the line in the back and throughstrokes.
Accordingly, several putting aids have developed stemming from the "two-board" concept that are lightweight and collapsible, thus, providing an advancement in convenience and portability over the two-by-four approach. Representative of these putting aids, for example, is U.S. Pat. No. 2,169,407 which provides a lightweight and collapsible putting aid utilizing a pair of parallel guides between which a golfer strokes the golf ball. However, the previously developed devices that are collapsible generally do not collapse to a size and configuration convenient for storage in the side pocket of a golf bag, and are complicated and difficult to assemble. Moreover, such devices do not provide putting aids with which both short and long putts may be practiced without having to readjust the distance between the parallel guides.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved putting aid that is collapsible to a size and configuration convenient for storage in the side pocket of a golf bag, that is easy to assemble, and that may be used for practicing both short and long putts without having to readjust the distance between the putting guides.